Snuffer for cigarettes and the like



Oct. 29, 1963 E. ROSNER SNUFFER FOR CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE Filed March 8. 1961 INVENTOR. E0 WIPD P05 A/ER r 7'TOPNEY United States Patent 3,108,602 SNUFFER FUR CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE Edward Rosner, 6 Beacon Ava, Livingston, NJ. Filed Mar. 8, 1961, Ser. No. 94,208 1 Claim. (Cl. 131237) This invention relates to devices for extinguishing cigarettes and cigars and, more particularly, to one that is magnetically operated.

The principal object of my invention, generally considered, is to provide a device in which a lighted cigarette or the like may be inserted and withdrawn and which automatically operates to remove the lighted end thereof as it is withdrawn.

Another object of my invention is to provide a snuffer consisting of a gene-rally cylindrical part of magnetized metal pivoted eccentrically of its axis, or about a pin on its surface or extending longitudinally therethrough and parallel to its axis, said part being normally held approximately at the level of the pivot axis by magnetic attraction to a part of an associated receptacle for ashes and other refuse or to a similar magnetized part, and normally lying in a position close thereto but slightly spaced therefrom, whereby a lighted cigarette or the like may be with little force pushed down in the position where the magnetized cylinder is closest to its associated part, to move said cylinder away and then, upon withdrawal, the cylinder returns and assists in pinching the lighted end portion, thereby extinguishing the same and allowing it to be safely discarded, without the danger and annoyance of its continued burning.

A further object of my invention is to provide a snufier which automatically pinches ofi the lighted ends of cigarettes or the like and which employs no springs and necessitates no adjustment, thereby involving substantially nothing to get out of order, and which is particularly useful in connection with an automobile.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken with the accompanying drawings. It will be un derstood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and do not define the scope or limits of the invention, reference being had for the latter purpose to the appended claim.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote like parts in the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of an ash receiver, with a snuifer embodying mycinvention, associated with the dashboard of an automobile, a cigarette being shown in the process of being pushed down and thereinto to remove the lighted end thereof.

"FIGURE 2 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 1, but showing the cigarette after it has been pushed into the snuiier to the full extent contemplated.

FIGURE 3 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 2, but showing the position of the parts after the cigarette has been withdrawn and the lighted end pinched off.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view corresponding to FIGURE 1 but showing a modification.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and first considering the embodiment of my invention illustrated in FIGURES l, 2 and 3, there is shown a receptacle or receiver 11 for ashes and other refuse, including as a part thereof a snuffer generally designated 12. The receptacle 11 may be carried, as in the dashboard 13 of an automobile, on a generally horizontal support member 14, the receptacle being adapted to be swung out for use to the position illustrated in FIGURE 1, withdrawn for emptying by pulling upward and outward, or

3,108,602 Patented Oct. 29, 1963 swung in or to the left to a closed position, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

In the present embodiment the snuffer 12 comprises a generally solid or hollow cylindrical permanentlymagnetized part 15 which may be about one-half inch in diameter and about one inch long. This part 15, preferably made of Alnico, is shown carrying a pivot pin 16 which may be integral with or separately formed and suitably secured to the side, as illustrated, parallel to the axis of the part 15, with its end portions passing through the side walls 17 and 18 of the receptacle 11 so that it is pivoted thereto and may swing clockwise from the position of FIGURE 1 down to the position of FIG- URE 2 or slightly therebeyond.

The cylindrical snuifing member 15 is normally attracted to the convex snufling lip portion 19, formed as by curving in the upper, outer edge portion of the receptacle 11 as shown. Said edge portion 19 is formed of iron, steel or other magnetizable material, so that the permanently-magnetized cylinder '15 normally swings up to approach as closely as possible to said magnetically attractive lip portion 19.

In operation, a cigarette or other smokable device, here designated 21, having a lighted end 22 is pushed downwardly from the position of FIGURE 1 to that of FIGURE 2, thereby causing the permanently-magnetized cylinder 15 to swing clockwise and downward as illustrated. This pushing is opposed by very little force, as magnetism is all that has to be overcome. However, if desired, there may be provided a counterweight portion 20 which, in the normal uppermost position of the magnetized cylinder 15, projects downwardly and diagonally beneath the pivot pin 16. The counterweight '20, if used, assists in returning the cylinder from its down position, illustrated in FIGURE 2, to its normal position.

By virtue of its diagonal positioning, the counterweight 20 exerts very little force against the initial turning of the magnetized member 15, from the position of FIG- URE 1, while its moment increases as the cylinder 15 swings to the position of FIGURE 2. This provides the beneficial effect of acting more strongly when the magnetization force is weakest, because of the then greater distance from the attracting lip 19. Thus, such a counterweight tends to equalize the force returning the magnetized cylinder 15 and thereby generally improves the operation of the snuifer, while not materially increasing the initial force to be overcome upon insertion of the smoking device 21.

The next move is to withdraw the device 21, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, whereupon the permanently-magnetized part 15 follows said device upward to the position shown in said figure, pinching off the lighted end and associated ashes 22, which drop into the receptacle 11. The extinguished device 21 would then preferably be deposited in the receptacle or otherwise disposed of.

Referring now to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in FIGURE 4, there is shown a receptacle or receiver 11a for ashes and other refuse, including as a part thereof a snufier generally designated 12a. The receptacle 11a, as in the preceding embodiment, may be carried in the dashboard of an automobile and adapted to be swung out for use, withdrawn for emptying, or swung to a closed position, as in the preceding embodiment.

The present embodiment is similar to the preceding embodiment, that is, it comprises a generally cylindrical permanently magnetized part 15a which may be of material like, and the size of, the part 15 of said previous embodiment. In the present embodiment, however, instead of having a pivot pin at its side, the magnetized part 15a has an aperture 23 running parallel to but eccentric of the axis 24. This aperture receives a pivot pin 16a which may either be immovable therein, with ends protruding therefrom and respectively pivoted in the sides 17a and 18a of the receptacle, or it may be loose or journaled in the cylinder 15a and with its ends respectively fixed in the sides 17a and 18a. It is thus pivoted and may swing clockwise from the position of FIGURE 4 down to a position corresponding with that of the snufiing member 15 in FIGURE 2 or slightly therebeyond.

Also, as in the preceding embodiment, the cylindrical snufiing member 15a is normally attracted to the edge of the receptacle 11a. Said edge is here formed as a convex lip portion 19a by curving in the upper outer edge portion of said receptacle. The edge portion 19a is formed of iron, steel or other magnetizable material so that the permanently-magnetized cylinder 15a normally swings up in order to approach as closely as possible to said lip portion 19a. The embodiment of FIGURE 4 is operated for snulfing cigarettes and the like as disclosed in connection with the first embodiment.

From the foregoing disclosure it will be seen that I have devised an improved cigarette snuffer associated with an ash receiver which may be of the automotive type or of a conventional home or office type. Although in the automotive type I have shown the employment of only one magnetized cylinder, it will he understood that two magnetized cylinders, with or without counterweights, may be used if desired. It will be understood that the pivot pin may be integral with its magnetized cylinder and extend along the outer surface or pass therethrough near the outer surface or eccentric to the axis, as illustrated in FIGURE 4.

It will also be understood that the pivot pin, if passing interiorly of its magnetized cylinder, may be fixed to or journaled through, as desired.

I claim:

A snuffer for cigarettes and the like comprising a receptacle having walls whose edges form an upper open end for the receptacle, a magnetically attractive part comprising an approximately segmental ly cylindrical convex snuffing lip on an edge of the receptacle walls and extending into the receptacle; a generally cylindrical magnetized member pivoted eccentrically of its axis on said walls to swing about a horizontal axis parallel to said lip from a position spaced from the lip a distance less than the diameter of a cigarette downward and away from the lip to allow for pushing between the cylinder and the lip of the lighted end portion of a cigarette and to be drawn by magnetic attraction between said cylinder and said lip back to said position while pinching off the lighted end of said cigarette upon Withdrawal of the cigarette from between said cylinder and said snufiing lip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 712,447 Woolley Oct. 28, 1902 1,765,989 Melville June 24, 1930 1,827,360 Glomb Oct. 31, 1931 2,111,084 Anderson Mar. 15, 1938 2,621,661 Gaskin Dec. 16, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,039,880 France May 20, 1953 

